Game Republic held an exclusive webinar for GR members on 24th September. The webinar was presented by Ariel Pai -Senior Product Scout and Business Development Manager from PQube. PQube is a leading international creator, publisher & distributor of Video Games and focused on publishing opportunities for developers. The event formed part of Game Republic’s event programme for 2025 supported by our Official Partners Red Kite Games, Barclays Games and Creative and Xsolla.
Here are three of the many takeaways from the talk that are very useful insights for indie developers at the early stages of games development looking for funding or publishers…
Pitching advice for early stage developers
One the biggest pieces of advice taken from the session revolved around developers being too reserved. Ariel emphasized the importance of openness to discussions and willingness to receive feedback. Ariel highlighted that it can be extremely beneficial to talk to as many publishers and people in the industry as this can help developers early on in gaining valuable feedback on their concept. This is why Game Republic hosts events like GaMaYo and our regular insight sessions so that developers can make those important connections in real life.
Another key area of importance Ariel highlighted was that of budgeting. She stressed the importance that developers should complete as much market research surrounding the type of game they are pitching for. They should also include a breakdown of what a proposed budget includes. Good budgeting helps to clearly outline vital information to publishers but also provides transparency for the overall proposal which is more reassuring for potential investors and publishers.
What can developers do to reach their players and communities?
Using the recent success of PQube’s approach when launching Discounty, Ariel emphasised that taking a more proactive approach rather than relying solely on external marketing/PR can really help boost a game at launch. Tapping into avenues like streaming platforms and content creators that can engage with your game and consistently connecting with the public/audience you want to attract supports engagement. Alongside this, Ariel encourages developers to use a variety of media platforms as that can yield excellent results as it can increase connectivity to target audiences as well as increase advertising.
What information do game developers need to provide to publishers / investors?
The session ended with a short Q&A session, which brought into discussion the importance of a detailed Game Design Document (GDD) along with a solid demo that showcases core mechanics. Ariel explained that having these documents and demos in the early stages can make all the difference in helping publishers to visualise an overall concept. Summarising the content, it is clear that overall, success revolves around connecting with as many people in industry, getting early feedback where you can but at the same time keeping players and communities involved and engaged throughout the process.
To find out about future Game Republic events and webinars visit our events page.
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